2024-08-23

Value of Black Cherry Trees

Demand for the lumber of black cherry trees is in incredibly high demand globally. The reddish-pink color of the wood gives it a stunning appearance for a wide array of wood products. Moreover, it is an easily-workable wood that is highly desired by woodworkers.

Despite its desirability, cherry is a relatively rare species in U.S. forests, accounting for only 0.3% of commercial timber volume.

This combination for high demand and low supply make black cherry trees worth more than most other species. Generally rated as the fourth most valuable timber species in the U.S., prices for black cherry lumber range from about $3,333 to $10,000 per cubic foot.

Black Cherry Tree Data

Using the girth, which is the diameter of the tree at the height of 4 ft 6 inches, and height of the trees, we’d like to predict the amount of timber a given tree will produce.

summary(trees)
##      Girth           Height       Volume     
##  Min.   : 8.30   Min.   :63   Min.   :10.20  
##  1st Qu.:11.05   1st Qu.:72   1st Qu.:19.40  
##  Median :12.90   Median :76   Median :24.20  
##  Mean   :13.25   Mean   :76   Mean   :30.17  
##  3rd Qu.:15.25   3rd Qu.:80   3rd Qu.:37.30  
##  Max.   :20.60   Max.   :87   Max.   :77.00

Plot of Black Cherry Tree Data

Because of the apparent linear relationship of the features, our application uses a simple linear regression to predict the volume using the girth and height of the trees.

Cherry Tree Timber Prediction

To help land owners calculate the potential value of their cherry trees, we’ve created an application that estimates the volume of timber a given tree will produce in cubic feet, given the tree’s girth and height.

The girth of the trees is easy to measure using a common tape measure, and with a yardstick and some simple trigonometry, the height is also simple to calculate.

Currently, timber volumes are estimated using complicated tables. The tables are difficult to use, and their estimates can vary widely.

Our application can be found at this url: https://mhthom2.shinyapps.io/FinalProject/ .

Reference